INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Christel House Academy (CHA), located in Indianapolis, Ind., is one of 10 high-poverty schools in the nation to be recognized for academic success through the 2013 MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools program. CHA is the first charter school in Indiana to receive this distinction.
The MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools program recognizes middle level and high schools that serve large numbers of students living in poverty and are high achieving or dramatically improving student achievement.
CHA houses over 600 inner-city students. Enrollment in the K-11 school is open to all district students and selection occurs through a lottery process. CHA has a 93 percent economically disadvantaged population and a nearly equal representation of Hispanic, Black, and White students; 30 percent of the students are English language learners; and 16 percent receive special education services.
“This year’s class of Breakthrough Schools represents how an uncompromised focus on the things that really matter leads to sustained school improvement,” said NASSP Executive Director, JoAnn Bartoletti. “Collaborative leadership, a personalized environment, and careful attention to what is taught and how it is assessed – hallmarks of the Breaking Ranks Framework – apply in all school contexts, and Christel House Academy and the other 2013
Breakthrough Schools provide us success stories that illustrate that diversity.”
Selection criteria for the award are based on a school’s documented success in implementing strategies that are aligned with the three core areas of NASSP’s Breaking Ranks Framework including collaborative leadership; personalization; and curriculum, instruction, and assessment. These schools have demonstrated continuous growth on state assessments over at least three years and made progress toward reducing the achievement gap.
Success in implementing the strategies is documented and verified through school site visits.